Uma Musume, Master of Love

Having experienced the effects of the medicine beforehand, Huiyi took a sip without saying a word. The familiar warmth spread from her stomach throughout her body, driving away the coldness and pain in her legs, and she let out a comfortable sigh.

"I'll treat you to a big meal, Senior Suko? And reimburse your travel and accommodation expenses?"

"Do you think I'm some kind of horse girl who's short of money? I'm incredibly popular, and the royalties are more than enough for me to squander. My request is simple: let me watch your debut match with Trainer Kitahara."

"Huh? Is that all you need?" Huiyi was still a little surprised. He originally thought that Alice was going to ask for an exorbitant amount of money and make him bleed a lot of money. After all, according to the first impression people had of mad scientists, they were wondering where they got so much money to make strange inventions.

But it seems like she won't lose anything by just letting Alice observe her running... This compensation doesn't seem like a bad idea?

When weighing the pros and cons, Huiyi realized what she would lack, so she happily agreed!

“No problem! It’s just watching a game, Kitahara will agree. So don’t ask me for any other compensation. I don’t have any money to compensate you…” He presented a pitiful look to Alice, his tone even carrying a hint of miserliness, which made Alice chuckle.

I've never seen a racehorse girl like this before, one who steps onto the track for money and fights with such fierce determination—she's a truly delightful individual... and her physical attributes are amazing too, possessing a growth stamina that most horse girls don't have... Airi Hayato feels more and more like she's found a treasure...

Perhaps after she retires, we could recruit her to form a three-person team for the lab...? The tea house would probably agree, right...?

Two days passed in a flash, and it was Saturday's race day at Hakodate Racecourse. The 5th race was the only 1000-meter Shining Debut race in the All Japan Shining Series, held only once a year.

Moreover, winning this race will even bring additional fan support, as it is the first Shining Debut Race of the year at Hakodate Racecourse, and also the first Shining Debut Race in northern Japan.

When Huiyi actually saw the list of participants for Uma Musume, she felt like she had stirred up trouble for the main characters' team...

"Beiyuan, are you sure this list isn't printed incorrectly? Is it real?" Huiyi examined the paper closely, his amethyst eyes trembling...

Suzuka, Ellie, Nishino… Wow, all these names sound so familiar! Is this really the intensity of a 1000-meter debut race? Huiyi pinched her tender thigh hard, wincing in pain before realizing this was reality.

"Of course, that's right. Gate number four is a good position. What are you afraid of?" Beiyuan, who was walking in front, was still a little puzzled by Huiyi's exaggerated reactions. After all, he had such good training results. He couldn't possibly make a mistake on the field because of nervousness, could he?

Huiyi was naturally afraid of this, after all, the most popular person was named Alice Jedi... and Alice Suzuko had the same surname! It was unclear whether they were related by blood, but more than whether they were related by blood, Huiyi was afraid that Alice Jedi would suddenly pull out a lightsaber from under her skirt and chop down all the horse girls on the same track.

The second most popular is Suzuka Bloom, and the third is Westminster… Looking down the popularity chart, Glowing is stuck in fifth place, neither here nor there… It seems that she only got support after a trainer at Central Academy mentioned Glowing's acceleration. Otherwise, with no seniors and no appearances, her popularity would probably have plummeted long ago.

Slowing down slightly to walk alongside Alice Suzuko at the back, Hikari asked in a low voice, "Suzuko-senpai, what's your relationship with this Alice Jedi? Is it blood relation? Or... what?"

"Hmm? They just share the same surname within the family. In terms of blood relation, there shouldn't be any."

"Then why is she so popular?"

"Of course it's Alice's surname~ People have been paying a lot of attention to Alice's surname ever since I started, just like Symbol, Meguro, and Satomi. But if I had to say, Alice Jedi and Alice Digital are more closely related." Alice was dressed casually today, and a pair of square glasses on her nose seemed to be the perfect disguise. She didn't encounter anyone claiming to be a fan of Alice along the way.

On the contrary, the undisguised Little Chestnut Hat was surrounded by a dense crowd.

After squeezing her way into Hakodate Racecourse, Huiyi parted ways with the rest of the group. She was going to the preparation room to wait for the announcement of the start of the race. Obviously, with so many people here today, probably half of them were here to see Alice Jetchi and Suzuka Seika.

After changing into her gymnastics uniform in the locker room, Huiyi tugged at her white vest, which still had the number four tag hanging on the front and back with paper clips. Huiyi went to the preparation room for the 5R competition and saw the other eight racehorse girls of all shapes and sizes.

Huiyi, whose human attributes exploded, could only close the door under the watchful eyes of everyone, then hid in a corner and sat down without saying a word, sitting upright like a model student listening to a lecture in class.

Just like the saying goes—in real life I'm timid and submissive, but online I'm a ruthless fighter.

"You must be Radiant White Horse~!" The racehorse girl with slightly pink hair approached her, her eyes full of curiosity. Radiant White Horse instantly recognized her from that look...

"You...you wouldn't happen to be Alice Jedi, would you...?" Huiyi moved a little further away, swallowing hard. After all, Suzi had said that Alice Jedi was closer to Alice Digimon...could she have learned this from Digimon too?! A Uma Musume fan who likes Uma Musume?!

"How did you know me?"

“Because of Aili Digital,” Huiyi replied succinctly. She really had a hard time dealing with this kind of social terrorist.

"I see! ~ Then let's pretend we're acquainted! Good luck in the debut competition ~ Although the final winner will definitely be me with the most popularity ~" Alice said confidently, pointing one finger to the sky.

"Huh?" Huiyi raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing that the nature of this competition was no longer limited to winning or losing! Her favorite thing in life was saying "no" to arrogant people!

"Excuse my bluntness!" Huiyi jumped to her feet, hands on her hips, standing before Alice Jedi. She looked up at Alice's face, then glanced around at the other racehorse girls, pointing her index finger to the sky: "Everyone sitting and standing... is trash!!!"

She's been making bold statements, and she's never been afraid of anyone!

Surprise inspection, meow! Hand over all your recommendation votes, meow!

Otherwise, I'll use my powerful cat-like weapon to splatter you all to death!

The main package is a noob cat that Karabi raised.

Chapter 35 Dipped Beans! So refreshing!

"..."

The once noisy preparation room fell silent after Huiyi uttered that harsh remark. Eight pairs of eyes were locked on Huiyi's small, feathered figure. To be honest, she was the smallest of the group of horse girls, but she had the loudest temper.

Since she had already made her statement, Huiyi didn't care how things would turn out. In her opinion, the worst that could happen was that she would just lose this debut competition, but she wouldn't stand for this!

"That's it. If you want to prove you're not trash, then try to catch up with me in the match later. I'll make you lose badly with a speed you can't match!" Grinning and making a fierce expression, Huiyi tossed his long hair and sat down on the other side, took out his phone and casually tapped to send out a pre-edited notification.

【Cuckoo Bird Official】: Today is the official debut of the streamer~ The live stream will be suspended for three days. If you want to support the streamer, please send money to the streamer, thank you! I will not accept inquiries about addresses or other box-opening behaviors. Of course, if you can recognize the streamer, that's your own skill, but the streamer thinks that possibility is extremely slim.

After sending the notification, she put her phone into locker number four. At this moment, she was trying to use the method that Xiao Li Mao had mentioned to adjust her mindset before the game. Hui Yi herself had a strange mindset. No matter how much she imagined the crucial moment on a normal day, she would not feel nervous at all. But when the time came, she could not calm down no matter what.

To paraphrase a high school teacher who has spent his entire life teaching, he's probably just a bunch of people who are all talk and no action, and who are just restless and impatient.

Her petite figure was obscured by the relatively tall racehorse girls in the room. Huiyi leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and emptied her mind, deciding not to think about anything at all, until the announcement of her turn to compete came over the indoor loudspeaker. She let out a long sigh of relief and stood up.

Gate number four, five popularity points, average level... If he performs consistently, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

As they made their way through the underground passage to the racetrack, at first there were no other racehorse girls around Huiyi. It made sense, since if someone called her trash, who would give her a friendly look?

But halfway there, Alice suddenly came up to her again, seemingly unconcerned about what she had just said: "What you just said... is it all true? A speed we can't match?"

A strange light flickered in Alice's eyes, perhaps a sign of respect for her opponent...?

"Of course, a gentleman's word is his bond. You are welcome to challenge me, even if you had a close relationship with Ali Digital back then." With her arms crossed over her chest, Huiyi spoke casually, though this was just an act of magnanimity; in reality, she wasn't very confident.

Whether it's a mule, a horse, or a donkey... you'll have to take it out and put it to the test on the track!

"Wow~ then I acknowledge you as my opponent! Will you be active in sprint races in the future? Then maybe we'll have many more opportunities to face each other~!" Alice's enthusiasm was as overwhelming as digital technology. Radiant avoided Alice's gaze and sighed softly.

Since it's not important anyway, let's just tell the truth... Huiyi coughed and said, "Maybe, maybe I'll participate in the middle-distance race."

"Eh~" Alice exclaimed in surprise. At this moment, she also reached the exit of the passage. Huiyi shrugged and did not explain further. He followed the footsteps in front and stepped into the continuous rain.

[The first dazzling debut race of the racehorses in Northern Japan has officially begun! Carrying dreams for the future, they embark on a brand new journey today!]

[Without a doubt, the most popular player is Alice Jedi! She looks to be in great shape, and her performance on the field is sure to be outstanding!]

Suzuka flowers are in full bloom…

[Nishino's decisiveness...]

The fifth most popular player is Radiant White Horse, whose expressionless face reveals nothing. Does this mean he already has victory in his grasp?

The popular introduction continued, but Huiyi had no intention of listening. Under the continuous rain, her knees were slightly itchy. The effects of the medicine were really strong... Normally, if she dared to go out on a rainy day, she would be in excruciating pain.

Just by doing the pre-race warm-up, his red running shoes were covered in soft mud from the grass. His toes felt light and airy as he ran over them, making Huiyi feel uneasy. Yet, this situation was being judged as a minor bad field condition. Sometimes, he was still very curious about how the judgment was made.

In the stands, Kitahara and his group wore raincoats, while Airi Soko ignored the falling raindrops and took out her phone to record the race. The 1000-meter race only lasted about 50 seconds, which consisted of a combination of straights, turns, and curves at 300-400-300, and the performance was almost right in front of the central grandstand as soon as they left the gate.

Aside from the sound of raindrops hitting umbrellas and raincoats, the race chants before the starting gates also drifted up. Upon hearing the chants, the female horses walked toward the gates in unison, for the other side of the gates was the road they were pursuing to reach their dream destination.

Take a deep breath, relax, concentrate, think about your strengths and their weaknesses. With your high intelligence, why would you be afraid of these athletes who are not even as good as high school students? Huiyi, are you confused...? After entering the gate, Huiyi kept reminding herself. When she heard the sound of the gate closing, she wagged her tail uncomfortably.

Although she didn't have claustrophobia, the cramped space still made her feel a little suffocated, and she had an urge to escape...

The race chants had ended, and the last few seconds before the start of the race were the quietest. At that moment, only three words occupied Huiyi's mind: escape.

pat~

[The gates open, and the Hakodate 1000m turf race begins! It's clear that number four, Shine White, has a far superior start compared to the other racehorses! Its terrifying start, securing the lead, quickly puts it two lengths ahead of Elise behind!]

The power accumulated during the few seconds trapped in the gate exploded from his feet, even kicking away the mud beneath his feet to reveal solid soil. Radiance, adhering to the short-distance approach of the Golden Town's Light, burst forward!

A white figure fluttered at the front of the group, her long white ponytail billowing in the wind as she sprinted, drawing a graceful white arc.

Wow! That's fucking awesome! Forget your tactics, running styles, and scheming! In the face of absolute speed, all your clever tricks have to kneel down!

It had been a long time since Huiyi had experienced this exhilarating feeling of competition. It felt like a dream back to college, when she competed with her best friends in the 50-meter physical test to see who could finish the fastest. The fastest time would be rewarded by the whole dorm on this crazy Thursday!

Since you don't want to be seen as trash, then prove it with a speed that surpasses mine! One kilometer is all it takes!

When you're actually on the field, sometimes... you'll flip some weird switches and let the horse girl's most primal nature show.

Surprise inspection, meow! Hand over all your tickets, meow!

Otherwise, I'll treat you to Yu Wu's jade feet!

Chapter 36 A resounding victory, followed by a single finger pointing to the sky.

[After the start, the racehorses were all trying their best to catch up with Glittering White. The sprint race is a pure competition of speed and power, or rather, a battle among all the runaway racehorses. Glittering White clearly had the upper hand in the opening, while Ellie managed to maintain her position behind her, unable to get any closer!]

How could a new generation of racehorse girls have such a fast and responsive start?! Is this some delicate, old-generation racehorse girl trying to scare us?! The White Shadow Queen, Alice, was utterly shocked, because she had never heard of a new generation of racehorse girls being able to produce a start that would make even old-generation racehorse girls exclaim "monster!"

Unfortunately, she ran into this monster. She initially thought her boasting in the preparation room was just her way of saving face, but it turned out to be true! But if this is the kind of horse racing girl she is, how could she only be fifth in popularity?!

Not only did Alice think this way, but Suzuka Morika and Nishino Kazutsu were also fooled by this popularity, because the popularity level can almost be said to be the ranking of the strength of the horse girls in this competition!

No… I have to catch up. If she goes around the bend at that speed again, I won’t have a chance to overtake her…! How could I possibly lose to a guy who just talks big at the starting point of my dreams! Alice gritted her teeth and pushed off with all her might, once again closing the distance between herself and Huiyi.

[The Radiant White Horse seems to have secured its position, but Ellie's decision to advance again—is she forcing it to continue expending energy on its escape, or is she trying to take its place?]

Hehe... Hahaha~ I heard you, do you still dare to chase after me? Huiyi's running style cannot be called standard in Uma Musume.

Kitahara had brought this up several times, but Teruaki had always refused, saying that he could run faster and more comfortably this way. It makes sense, since the ultimate goal of all training and techniques is simply to make racehorse girls run faster on the track and win the race.

Her sensitive ears, almost flattened by the wind, caught the increasingly clear footsteps behind her. Huiyi didn't know why she was laughing, but her body told her that she should make a statement at this moment.

For example... accelerate again!

Come on... try to catch me! The excitement in his heart was reflected in his more frequent strides, and Huiyi accelerated again, causing the whole audience to gasp.

On the rain-soaked Hakodate Racecourse, Shiroko accelerated again, leaving Ari Jetchi far behind. Although the race is 1000 meters, this kind of explosive acceleration is just as physically demanding as a marathon! Does she really have enough stamina to finish the race?

The 300-meter distance was almost covered in a flash during Huiyi's explosive advance. The distance difference brought by the extreme speed also gave her more than enough room to slow down when cornering. At this moment, Huiyi was not good at cornering, and there was a risk of being overtaken when slowing down, so she had to create a large enough gap before cornering!

In fact, the most important thing in the 1000-meter sprint is the management of physical strength. Even in the normal rush and position, you have to take into account the overtaking on the curve and the competition on the final straight. But right now, it seems that Huiyi, who has maintained the lead since the start of the race and is willing to expend physical strength to maintain the lead, has deliberately given up on the final straight.

While watching Hikari run, Alice in the audience was so engrossed that she forgot to move her phone along with the team's movements.

"Yeah...that's it...that's the expression! Run...! A posture that surpasses everything, hehe~!" For a moment, Airi Soko seemed to see her own figure at the Satsuki Sho that year...Back then, she was exploring the infinite possibilities of racehorse girls, but what is the purpose of the current Shining White Horse?

[In this short-distance race, it has pulled ahead by five lengths before the corner! Although the Radiant White Horse has slowed down somewhat at this point, the chasing female horses behind it have also slowed down to some extent due to the corner! Now is the decisive corner!]

This can't be happening... How can she maintain top speed while escaping? If she has that kind of endurance, why would she need to participate in a 1000-meter sprint?! Following closely behind, Alice felt as if her worldview had been turned upside down. Generally speaking, racehorse girls with ample endurance often lack explosive power in short distances.

While the racehorse girl with explosive power lacks endurance adaptation for medium and long distances... But the white shadow in front of her completely shattered Alice's perception.

Suzuka and Nishino also followed up as they rounded the bend, getting closer and closer to Alice and Shimmering White Horse.

Raindrops blurred her vision on her face, forcing Huiyi to wipe them away. She maintained her top speed throughout, and after running the short straight and curves, she was a little out of breath. But the final straight was just around the corner, and Huiyi used her last breath for the final sprint.

[With the final sprint underway and the 1000-meter race nearing its end, Huiyi Baiju still leads by three body lengths, but seems to be exhausted. Aili Juedi, Nishino Kazuki, and Suzuka Shengkai are closing in, making this a close contest where the race will ultimately come down to sheer willpower!]

Huiyi poured all its strength into its legs, each step leaving deep footprints that were filled with mud and turned into puddles. Because it maintained its frontal position, its leotard didn't get too dirty, but its pure white tail was covered in brown mud.

The final straight route passed the central grandstand. Perhaps it was an unseen force that the two horse girls shared a common desire to run. Out of the corner of her eye, Huiyi caught a glimpse of Alice's expression, which was both nostalgic and approving.

"Charge out—! With a future that no one can predict or define... Hahaha~ Your future is infinite!" This was the first time Alice had ever lost her composure like this; it was the irresistible desire of a scientist seeing some kind of infinite possibility...!

As a genius racehorse girl who had already opened up her own domain at the Satsuki Sho, she saw the particles that had surrounded her back then in the Shining White Horse.

That particle is called... Infinite Qi Er 0 Jiu Qi Chan Si.

[A gleaming white horse leads the way! Although Alice, Suzuka, and Nishino made a final burst of speed to catch up, the gap that had widened during their escape could not be bridged now!]

[Finally—! Shining White Horse has won a resounding victory in its debut race! With a perfect start and a flawless lead down the track, it easily secured a dazzling debut in the Hakodate 1000m!]

After crossing the finish line, Huiyi mustered her last breath to avoid slamming her face on the grass to brake. Sweat and rainwater mingled and gathered on her chin, dripping down her cheeks.

Finally, he raised his right hand high, pointed one finger at the sky, and grinned broadly, revealing a set of big white teeth.

At the very least, he has to be handsome enough to make him look like he's back in the underground passage... This is what Huiyi was thinking as he forced himself not to shake his leg.

Updated, meow! Vote, meow!

The password is Radiance~~

Chapter 37 The Winner's Stage on the Tip of the Tongue

Huiyi's posture was very elegant. Standing still was not to show off her victory, but to hide her embarrassment of panting and to let her legs regain some strength to leave the field.

A minute later, she took seemingly firm but rather unsteady steps toward the underground passage, during which time she had been contemplating a choice that the winner must face.

That is the winner's stage, where the winner displays their prowess.

"Ouch... Why did you strain so much? Now my legs will be sore for another two weeks..." Her attempt to conceal her injury crumbled as she left the audience's sight. Leaning against the wall, she punched her tingling knee and grimaced. Even with Suzi's potion allowing her to burst into action in the rain, it was clear that some damage would still occur.

Huiyi also made a decision: no matter how high the prize money for a competition she participated in the future, she would cancel her trip if it rained. She had to be alive to spend the money she earned...

Dragging her slightly stiff legs, Huiyi arrived at the dressing room where the winner's stage performance was being prepared, guided by the staff. However, she was still wearing her gymnastics uniform, which was soaked with rain, sweat and mud, so in order to maintain her image in front of others, Huiyi did not collapse directly onto the soft sofa.

"Miss Huiyi Baiju, congratulations on winning the debut competition. As for the winner's stage... do you have any plans? Or will it proceed as usual...?" The staff preparing for the performance placed a change of clothes for Huiyi on the table and asked her about her requirements for the stage.